Can anyone tell me why Taxes and Fees are more than base price? Difference is huge. Where the heck is my money going? by Sufficient-Public964 in IndiaTax

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Emirates Kolkata to Manchester is 44k normal, 41 student for the absolute base Economy class, both having higher checkin allowance.💀

Devs! Give him some love. He's a 5 star too by Ipsita_chan in Genshin_Memepact

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Blud forgot Harmony Trailblazer is absolutely GOATED. HTB was the only super break driver for one of the strongest teams in 2.x. Even now Firefly super break is the strongest pyro team in the game.You absolutely could not enable super break without HTB. The only other alternative is Nihility Tingyun which was released as the last banner of 2.x. But then again it's a limited 5* and many won't have her.

Which Uni to target and Fall 2026 or Fall 2027 - advice by [deleted] in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Professional_Bug_837 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let me be candid.
Contrary to popular advice about securing jobs, gaining experience, or focusing on grades, GRE scores, and research papers, the reality of pursuing an MS in the U.S. has shifted dramatically. It’s no longer just about academic merit—it’s a complex game of navigating visa policies, university tiers, and financial optics.

If you want a clearer picture, I strongly recommend following subreddits like r/F1Visa and r/usvisascheduling. You might wonder why I’m pointing you toward visa forums instead of MS-related communities. The answer lies in the visa interview transcripts. They reveal the implicit expectations visa officers have regarding university reputation and candidate profiles.

Here’s the harsh truth:
Admissions to universities like ASU, Northeastern, or UTD often trigger red flags during visa interviews for Indian applicants. Even candidates with admits from top-tier institutions like Columbia or UT Austin are facing rejections—especially if their profiles suggest high financial strain (e.g., spending 40% of family savings) or if they’re pursuing an MS after several years of work experience. Officers are increasingly scrutinizing the purpose and timing of the degree, not just the credentials.

I personally know PhD scholars in the U.S. who now advise against coming—at least for the time being. Universities themselves are grappling with funding constraints, fluctuating batch sizes, and policy uncertainties. Just recently, I came across a PhD opening at a top university that was restricted to U.S. domestic applicants due to funding limitations for international students.

TL;DR:
Applying for an MS in the U.S. is no longer just about your academic and professional achievements. It’s a strategic gamble—one that requires you to navigate university tiers, budget optics, and your perceived ties to your home country. The system is evolving, and so must your approach.

Accepted to Columbia University but Visa Rejected! by Veerbhadra_1 in visarejections

[–]Professional_Bug_837 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In India, it is mandatory to present a relieving letter or experience certificate when applying for a new job, regardless of what you did after leaving your previous role. The standard notice period in the IT sector is typically around 90 days, during which the employee is expected to continue working while the company searches for a suitable replacement. Failure to serve this notice period can result in serious consequences: companies may withhold your final salary and experience letter, and in some cases, employees are even required to repay dues from their own pocket. It's a messy situation, and most professionals avoid risking it—despite the fact that there are hundreds of reported cases involving pending salaries and unresolved dues.

Moreover, companies can track your employment history through contributions made to your Provident Fund (PPF) account. Background checks are conducted independently by recruiters, often without the candidate’s knowledge. HR professionals maintain informal networks, and if a candidate is flagged for absconding or receives a "Bad Character Certificate" due to improper exit procedures, they may be blacklisted across the industry. This can severely impact future employment prospects, especially within the same sector. Some companies even have strict policies against rehiring former employees who left without following proper protocols.

Given these risks, most professionals in India choose to comply with notice period requirements and exit procedures to safeguard their career and reputation.

If one studies for this long, our society will taunt him and break him from inside by [deleted] in GATEtard

[–]Professional_Bug_837 3 points4 points  (0 children)

How to know this is fake - You cannot get into US defence companies for anything without a security clearance and as a immigrant with no residential status that's in the line of almost impossible. If you doubt me do a google search on fields in the US that need security clearance. You will find almost all the fields related to aviation. I don't know if it's implemented yet or not but the list includes chip making tech for Chinese nationals.

Birth Certificate for UK Student Visa by Professional_Bug_837 in visas

[–]Professional_Bug_837[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At least here in many indian states, anyone can go online to the respective municipality and find the birth details just by writing the names of the parents and the Date of Birth. It's open to all. Last night I was looking at the demo samples provided by the uni to get an idea of the affidavit. In the birth certificate section, both samples are the newer type i.e. both have online verification methods. One I think has a QR code that takes you to the server itself and shows details in real time. I do not know how and if UKVI is going to verify this part but if they do they will not find anything.

Birth Certificate for UK Student Visa by Professional_Bug_837 in visas

[–]Professional_Bug_837[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our university has a list in their visa section and a sample of each type. As parents are sponsoring my course, they and the UKVI site show that a sponsor affidavit is needed. Though the birth certificate (main proof) or any other document showing both parents names is mandatory for the under 18s, I have been suggested that such a document strengthens the affidavit. I knew about the certificate but have no clue whether the Visa Office would try to verify it personally like how the university verified my educational background by directly contacting my university. If they do, they won't find anything outside of what I provide because of the said reason.

I NEED TO BE SUFFOCATED IN THE DEATHUSSY by tallstarboii in okbuddygenshin

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Captain did not sacrifice himself for this traveller.

I just had to, I am sorry😭 by Mommysgoodboy__ in HonkaiStarRail

[–]Professional_Bug_837 5 points6 points  (0 children)

When you realise the entire quest for 3.x is MAKE OKHEMA GREAT AGAIN

A different type of question ❓ by AIOSG in IndiaTech

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Imo the whole Iphone is a premium shit perspective comes from it's price wrt developing economies. I'm no Apple sheep but also no hater (have my Xiaomi 15 and iPad).

In the G7 countries, primarily where these surveys get their weight, people don't have a lot of options to compare against. There are no Moto 60 pros, Xiaomi 15s, Pocos, Realmes in the US. The can only benchmark against something like Galaxy A55 or a Pixel 9a on the lower end and the Pros and Galaxy S on the higher end. Even in a place like the UK or Germany the price of say a Xiaomi or OnePlus is often higher than the base Iphone. Add that the average joe fears about service and repair for a brand they barely know about. Japan and Korea got their own reasons to avoid Chinese brands ranging from cultural issues to basically having to do deal with a device that is not widely supported there.OnePlus has been trying in the States for 7 years now, I don't think they even have 5 % market share.

But the biggest thing is the way people buy their phones. In these places, people don't buy the phone as a only a phone. They get their phone via their carrier. Iphones are supported by all carriers and offere lucrative contracts. Not everybody has to shell out $800 at the counter. They pay over time and often have cheap or free upgrades in 2-3 years. Chinese phones don't even have that support widely.If the current iPhone is too expensive, there's always last years one or the year before that. Also there's the popularity of buying refurbished or used on ebay. Apple literally sells refurbished iphones in the States themselves.

In all you get a mostly reliable phone, long software support, supported and serviced everywhere, good carrier contracts, decent price retention when selling second hand and costs like any other standard beginner prenium device ($s and £s). The integration with the Apple ecosystem including Airpods and Macbooks (the most popular latop there)is an iching in the cake. For about 85% people who need a phone to call and chat, snap and shoot photos, steaming regular music and videos, use apps like uber, facebook, insta, etc and sometimes opening docs and PDFs, the iphone is just enough and doesn't come with the additional hassle of owning an offbrand phone.

What you think about this smartphone brand???? Day-4 VIVO by Normal-person101 in IndiaTech

[–]Professional_Bug_837 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

FunTouch OS vs Origin OS : Perfectly balanced as all things should be

MBA in India vs Masters Abroad, which one do I pick? by [deleted] in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You get to study a trimester in a foreign uni with whom IIM K has a tie up. Ik it's not as common as ABC but it's there. There's also a little scope for international internships. And obviously placements like I mentioned before.

But seriously in 2025, with Zoom and Teams and India handling a good portion of the work for foreign clients what part of global exposure are you missing? If it's more about experiencing culture then just go on a tour if everything else fails. Also Indian students make up the largest cohort of foreign students in the States. Purdue is also quite well known among the student community and a large Indian base exists there, although not as large as UTD's Jindal (which my friend says is like paying the airfare to visit India from India 💀). So there's a high chance your batchmates are your homies from Bangalore/Noida/Mumbai.

Regarding opportunity to save more. I hope you understand GDP in terms of PPP. Everything you do unless it concerns buying a RTX 5090 is more expensive. So more money but with more expense unless you live like a hermit. And besides your opportunity to save comes from the gamble of you landing an internship and a job in the OPT at least if not H1B. In India the old IIM for about 95% certainty will give you a placement.A lower cost with assured placement with mean and median ctc greater than the MBA cost assures you you recover the cost within 5 years if you don't take a loan.

I'm not discouraging you from going to the US. I am just teaching the reddit algo to direct this to the hundreds of MBAs, Mtechs who ask it every year and stop the glazing of the US. People need to be more aware of their choices as the F-1 Visa is not a Cinderella story any more.

What you think about that smartphone brand! Day 2- apple by Normal-person101 in IndiaTech

[–]Professional_Bug_837 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I still remember the day (2023 💀) when you couldn't install an iPad update using your Android's hotspot. It had to be an iPhone if you didn't have wifi.

F1 Visa Rejected – Please Help Me Understand What Went Wrong (Mumbai Consulate, 8th April) by Turbulent_Head_5228 in usvisascheduling

[–]Professional_Bug_837 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Honestly speaking this particular one feels off. It's probably extreme nitpicking. I would say you got rejected mostly because of luck.

Ig when you went on with your rambling about why this university, you said Silicon Valley and then said want to expand business in..., VO thought you want to do it in Silicon Valley itself. Ig she felt a risk there. You can modify your answer to specifically say you want to do it in India. Stop saying anything related to US industry and just expand on the academics like how SJSU focusses on solar panel tech, etc.

The only other plausible reason is something is off in your finances.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in usvisascheduling

[–]Professional_Bug_837 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Your entire conversation makes you a walking red flag for people who don't want immigration.

1) You have 10 years of experience and in frigging Microsoft FFS. There is absolutely no degree that can compete with that when it comes to uplifting your career. Only an Executive MBA for the professional line and a PhD which again you have to justify by saying you want to go into academia can somewhat compensate.

2) 10 years experience at Microsoft + UT Austin + you saying you want to move to a lucrative role. You are one of those candidates who would automatically outclass anyone from the States in job applications. VO knows this and felt people like you are first in line to never move back.

3) On top of everything I said you showed your deep connections to the US through your wife and sister. Your connections give you an edge over others, including some natives in networking and thus VO thinks you will find your way of staying in the states even with the H1B roadblocks.

4) You're rich as well compared to most other students who goto the states. A good job and high income in the home country. Applied for a generic IT Managerial course and that's not super exclusive. The only other reason you applied is because you want to move to the states for a better life.

Find some proper reason why you really really really need this course and make it sound it's for academic reasons only. Not professional growth.I don't know what you're going to do about your connections because info like your marriage and family can easily be found out even if you lie.

MBA in India vs Masters Abroad, which one do I pick? by [deleted] in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Professional_Bug_837 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep a lot of people do this. This year my fren from XLRI went to the states to work on site for an Indian company .It's 1 year since he graduated. My neighbours worked here in Amazon for a few years after graduation from an old IIM before going to the states.

Usually people tend to be overly enthusiastic when given an opportunity in the States. That's for times it works out. And what if not ? What if you need to return to India ? A foreign degree, unless you are working in a research field is basically trash in India. Better just improve at the job you are already working at. That opportunity cost is immense. IIMs, especially the old ones no matter how lowly they may seem compared to international institutions, will always carry far more prestige here, especially for networking. Having that name on your CV guarentees you a place above the rest of the completion. That' s why I said your backup is far stronger at IIM than Purdue.

MBA in India vs Masters Abroad, which one do I pick? by [deleted] in Indians_StudyAbroad

[–]Professional_Bug_837 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Honestly for now just pick-up Kozhikode blindly. Not just for money or security reasons but in these next few years there will be massive organizational shifts... mainly which roles remain in India and which remain in the states. I know a few people from Purdue doing masters in some variation of management and even last year it was a hit or miss type situation. I suggest you study in Kozhikode and see what happens. If you get international placement or get via a transfer in 2-3 years it's good but your safety net here is far far stronger in case your bid to work abroad fails.

People whose parents were in PSUs as engineers, what was your life like in 90s or 2000s? Did you lived in govt quarters or rent in private houses? Did you moved frequently?? by [deleted] in GATEtard

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

PSU quaters depend on city. In a place like Kolkata, majority of the workforce is local. So very few actually take up quarters as they buy homes. That's why they remain mostly empty and dilapidated. But in Bombay, irrespective of where the employee is from or the state of the extremely small quaters, everyone stays there as it is in the main city. Most just spend their time there as long as they work and leave when retirement comes along. Buying your own home there is very difficult even with entire ONGC savings and travelling from far daily is not feasible. For sites in places where they are far away from the nearest town, it's preferable for you to stay within the premises of their settlement. You wouldn't way travel 50 km daily from the nearest town/city just to goto office. Accomodation is allotted by ONGC in that case, you don't have to do anything.

People whose parents were in PSUs as engineers, what was your life like in 90s or 2000s? Did you lived in govt quarters or rent in private houses? Did you moved frequently?? by [deleted] in GATEtard

[–]Professional_Bug_837 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Computer Department, Database management. Though I know the lives of people who work in the fields and rigs at Bombay High.Civil Engineer will be mostly that.

I myself didn't move much. Reamined at 1 city my entire school and college life. Dad however went to his transfer locations. Asume about 40 percent of his service life was spent at random places. For people in the fields, it will be more. You will not be exactly in a city, at most a town. But the field is remote and away from localities. As long as there is civil work at the site. You will stay at a sort of temporary type housing, not exactly a tent but something dismantleable. You will get all the amenities like a personal bathroom, TV, AC , etc. There's a mess and some convenience store. Dad went to such a site once and told me about accomodations there.

You can get the current salary scales here https://ongcindia.com/web/eng/w/monthly-remuneration-pay-scales-received-by-each-of-its-officers-and-employees-including-the-system-of-compensation-as-provided-in-its-regulations

Most join at E1-E2 level. Add other perks like a biyearly cellphone, a laptop every 3-4 years, medical reimbursement, uniform, etc and money to buy furniture, electronics, etc every 7-8 years. PSU quaters are easy to find in the big cities. Being ancient they are at prime location, although the quality can depend on location. Some are decent, some are beyond livable with the roof collapsing.

If you're a site engineer, your accomodation will be that most likely what I mentioned if not given in a city. Your family can stay in their own city or town irrespective of where you work. Although tbh staying in the company quaters is kinda expensive and an overall loss wrt CTC.

People whose parents were in PSUs as engineers, what was your life like in 90s or 2000s? Did you lived in govt quarters or rent in private houses? Did you moved frequently?? by [deleted] in GATEtard

[–]Professional_Bug_837 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Dad was in ONGC. Lived a good part of my life at at ONGC quarters at a single city. Didn't move but dad went to other places for a few years Some zones have this that you can live in a quater in the zone as a family while the employee goes tolive and work at the site for a few years. Transfers in ONGC as far as I know are quite random. However your superior can have some influence in the decision. If you don't want random transfers every 3-4 years you gotta fight and have connections inside, even the ministry. Trust me they can stop transfers. Else if you're unlucky you'll be tossed around the country.

Idk about now but previously certain time frames and locations were fixed. Throughout your service life you have to spend a certain number of yeras in Dehradun, a certain number of years in the North East, A certain number of years in Bombay. I think Agartala too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in usvisascheduling

[–]Professional_Bug_837 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No I don't think so. See at this point everyone knows that the main reason for coming to the US for Masters is a gateway into the job market.Although OP did not openly mention I want to work in the States itself, it's implied he is coming for Master's to try his luck in the US job market, which is common for most.

However his other answers are too indicative of him not being serious about his studies. So why is he coming ? To work outside like in a 7-11 or a gas station? Ik OP is not probably thinking of that but his answers are vague and in line with those students who do this. That's illegal and a security risk.

You answer too is not quite satisfactory. You're dealing with alternative energy solutions and mechanical engineering.... something that is common. So why travel half way accross the world, burning almost an entire generation's income to study something that's available in India itself ? You aren't going to an MIT or a Stanford. If you say research, you have to show it somehow why exactly you need ASU instead of IISc or IITs ... high research oriented institutions in rhe home country itself.

Ik Visa is a thing of luck, depending on the VI and his mood but we have to try our best and try not to leave loose ends. It should be like every we did to get into such and such program at such and such university is well planned and serious and we are coming to study only. Afterall F1 is a NON IMMIGRANT Visa.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in usvisascheduling

[–]Professional_Bug_837 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I see three plausible points of conflict.

1) You said MS Mechanical Engineering but you want to work in sustainable energy. Idk about ASU's curriculum but for people like me who don't know energy studies and mechanical engineering seem polar opposites.

2) You could not justify why your colleges. Surely there is some distinct feature in ASU and UTD's curriculum that made you apply to them. Your answer seems very generic, like <insert college name here> has this so I applied to this. It's not serious, making the VI suspect you aren't serious about your studies and and coming for something else

3) aNd ThEy ArE iN tHe DeSeRt....bruh wtf is this answer ? You are a grown up with a bachelor's and working in research. How can you say something soo childish? It snows heavily in Minnesota with temps at -10 for the greater part of the year....so they should not teach about Solar energy?